The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-11-18

failed; now / will succeed or leave ND
bones In Dixie" ~
The words and manner thrilled every
nearer, and we assured him that4we
would stand by him, and, II need be, die
with him. He grnsped our hands and we
hurried to the platform, for the train was
now almost due. had said nothing in
the discussion, for / felt that we were
under the leadership of Andrews, and
should simply obey, leaving the respon-
sibility to rest on him. l am not sure
that, on later critical occasion, we did
not carry this principle little too far.
Although we only needed tickets to Big
Shanty, we purchased them to various
points along the line that attention might
not be attracted by such q number bound
to one place. AS the train came up we
noticed three closed box cars attached.
Every passenger train, as / have since
been informed by Conductor Fuller, was
at this time required to carry empty cars
northward, which were brought back
filed with bacon and other provisions,
vast quantities of which were then being
CLEANED out Of Tennessee and stored in
Atlanta. We all took our places close to-
gether in one car, that we might be ready
to help each other in case of need. Knight
sat near the front door, and says that on
looking back he saw that most of our men
were pale, yet rcsolute. The passengers
had that listless and weary air always
seen in the early morning on board a
train.
The conductor, whose name we after
ward learned was William A. Fuller, en-
tered and began to take the tickets. He
looked narrowly at us, for 1t was an un-
common thing for so many persons to en-
ter in u body as did at Marietta; besides,
he had been warned very recently to
watch that no conscripts used his train
for the purpose of escaping, and ordered,
in case Of suspicion, to telegraph for help
at once. No doubt we looked soldierly
enough, but he afterward told me that he
did not suspect us of being conscripts.
We also scrutiniZed him carefully, for it
was possible that he might, If his sus-
picions were in the least aroused, en-
deavor to prevent us from taking his
train.
He was quite young for conductor,
being, as we afterward learned, only 20,
though he had been for seven years in
that position. He had frank, genial,
but resolute face, was of medium size,
and looked active and strong.
We had little leisure for looking at the
grand form Of Kenesaw mountain, which
rose on our left, and around the base of
which the road describes almost o half
circle, and then turns away before it
reaches Big Shanty. Here was fought
one Of the severest battles of the war be-
tween Sherman and Johnston; but this,
with their prolonged struggle over the
whole line of this railway, did not come
until two years later. The question of
deepest interest to us, and one which
would be quickly solved, was, "How much
of n fight will we have at Big Shantys
If the train is left guarded during break
fast time we will have to overcome the
guards; if anybody sees us going on the
engine, and rush is made to prevent, we
will have to fight sharply and at close
quarters-the most deadly kind of fight
ing" Every revolver had been carefully
examined at Marietta before we slept and
every preparation made, so there was
nothing to do but to wait as patiently as
we could. fF
ITO be Continued